Kutu hair is parasites that live on the scalp and cause scalp itch.The medical term for disease caused by this hair lice is pediculosis capitis.
A person can get head lice from contact with the head of another person who has head lice. This is different from the public opinion, that head lice arise due to poor hygiene of the hair and scalp, or as a result of infection from animals.
Symptoms of Head Lice
Symptoms of head lice are itching on the scalp, which can spread to the neck and ears. This itching occurs due to the reaction of human skin to feces or flea saliva. In addition to itching, sufferers can also feel something crawling on the scalp.
Itching on the scalp makes sufferers scratch their heads continuously. Itching will be more pronounced at night, because fleas are more active in dark conditions. As a result, sufferers have difficulty sleeping.
Scratching the head continuously will cause the scalp to hurt, and if the wound is infected with bacteria, pus will appear.
When to go to the doctor
Head lice can be treated with a comb, as well as over-the-counter lice-killing liquid or shampoo. If you have been doing self-medication at home but the head lice do not go away, immediately consult a doctor.
Causes of Head Lice
Head lice are most often transmitted through direct contact with the patient's head. Without direct contact, head lice cannot move from one head to another. This is because head lice are not able to fly or jump.
Although they cannot fly or jump, head lice can crawl quickly. This allows head lice to pass from the patient's head to the head of others through objects that are used on the head, such as hats, scarves, combs, pillows, towels and headphones.
Transmission can also occur if someone keeps these objects in the same place as the patient's belongings, for example putting clothes in the same cupboard.
Diagnosis Lice
From the symptoms of itching on the head, head lice can be detected by looking at the presence of lice on the head. If the lice cannot be seen directly, the patient can use a serit comb, which is a special comb that can catch head lice and nits.
Here are the steps for using a comb:
- Comb the hair using a regular comb first, to untangle the tangles.
- Comb the hair with a fine comb slowly from the scalp to the ends of the hair, and make sure the entire area of the hair is combed evenly.
- Check for lice or nits caught in the fine comb, on each comb. Use a magnifying glass to see more clearly.
Using this comb can make your hair tangle, so it's best to do this while your hair is still wet and has been applied with conditioner. In addition to inspection, combing hair with a comb can also be done to remove head lice.
How to Remove Lice
As mentioned above, one way to get rid of head lice is to comb your hair with a comb, while your hair is wet. The use of a razor comb is done every 3-4 days, at least for 2 weeks, to ensure that there are no more lice in the hair. The use of this comb can be combined with lice-killing liquid or shampoo.
There are shampoos for head lice that are sold over the counter without a prescription, namely shampoos that contain permethrin. The use of this shampoo can be done independently at home, with the following steps:
- Take off your clothes before using shampoo for head lice.
- Do not use conditioner or shampoo with conditioner before shampooing for head lice.
- Use the head lice medicine according to the directions on the medicine package.
- Use shampoo all over your scalp and hair, when hair is half dry.
- For sufferers who have long hair, use 2 bottles of shampoo for head lice if necessary.
- Rinse hair after 10 minutes.
- Do not shampoo until 2 days after.
- Use a fine comb to remove dead lice.
- If after using the head lice shampoo, you still feel the movement of the lice, there is no need to immediately repeat the treatment. The use of head lice shampoo needs to be repeated 7-10 after the first treatment.
Since head lice shampoo does not kill nits, it will need to be repeated to get rid of the newly hatched lice.
To get rid of head lice and their eggs, you can use a fine comb while the hair is still wet. Comb your hair daily with a fine comb, for up to 2-3 weeks, to make sure all lice and nits are gone.
Not only the head is treated, the items used by the patient must also be cleaned of lice. The following are examples of items that need to be cleaned of fleas, along with how to clean them:
- Clothes, sheets, and pillowcases are washed in hot water and then dried in the sun.
- The comb is immersed in hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Floors, carpets, chairs and sofas are cleaned with a vacuum cleaner (vacuum cleaner).
- Items that cannot be washed are placed in a tightly closed bag and stored for 2 weeks.
Keep in mind, do not use insect venom spray, because it will be dangerous if inhaled or absorbed into the skin.
If the head lice still do not go away with the above treatment, immediately consult a dermatologist. Dermatologists can give other types of flea-killing fluids, such as: malathion or spinosad. In addition, a dermatologist can also give you a co-trimoxazole drink to get rid of lice.
Prevention Lice
There are several steps you can take to prevent getting head lice. This preventive step also needs to be taken by people who have been exposed to head lice, so that it doesn't happen again. Some of these steps are:
- Avoid head contact when working with other people.
- Do not share the use of personal items, such as clothes, hats, towels, and pillows.
- Do not lie on sofas, carpets, or beds that have been recently used by the patient, unless they have been cleaned with a vacuum cleaner (vacuum cleaner).
- Wash the patient's clothes with hot water, then dry in the sun.
- Wash the items used by the patient. If it cannot be washed with water, use the method dry-clean or put the item in a bag and seal tightly for 2 weeks.